Mother Allana Allard was shocked to find out she was pregnant with triplets and all three babies are identical.

Allana Allard, a 29-year-old mother from Davistown, New South Wales, Australia, and her husband Tim, 31, were overjoyed when they discovered they were expecting their first child in October 2019. The couple had been trying to conceive for just two weeks before a positive result on a home pregnancy test.

Excited about their first ultrasound at six weeks, they were left speechless when they were informed that they were not expecting one baby, but three. With no family history of multiple births on either side, Allana and Tim were astounded by the news that their family would be expanding by three. Despite the unexpected turn, they welcomed their identical triplet boys named Jaxon, Zac, and Zavier in May 2020, right in the midst of the pandemic.

Allana, originally from Falkirk, Scotland, but moved to Australia at the age of 13, shared their journey: “We decided to start trying for a baby in October last year, and within just two weeks we were pregnant. We were over the moon. We went together to our very first scan and were not really expecting much as it was so early.”

She continued, “We heard two heartbeats at first, and we were told it was twins. But after doing an internal ultrasound, we got the news it was triplets. Tim went white as a ghost and let out a couple of choice words. I went into shock. There is absolutely no history of multiple births on either side of our families, so it was just totally random. After the initial shock wore off, we were just so excited. Of course, we were a bit scared as all new parents are, but we were so happy.”

The chances of conceiving natural identical triplets are estimated to be as rare as 1 in 200 million. As if expecting triplets wasn’t overwhelming enough, Allana faced the additional challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to strict lockdown measures and limited access for her husband to attend important appointments. Furthermore, the couple couldn’t have any family members visit the triplets in the hospital during the three weeks they stayed there before coming home.

The pandemic also affected the travel plans of Allana’s 82-year-old grandmother, who had to postpone her visit from Scotland to meet her great-grandsons.

Reflecting on the experience, Allana said, “It was such a trying time with COVID. Tim wasn’t allowed in any of the scans; he would have to just sit in the car for hours. None of our family members could meet the triplets until we brought them home. They were in the NICU for three weeks. It’s sad for my great-grandmother; she comes over twice a year usually to see us, but now we are not sure when she will be able to meet her great-grandchildren. It really impacted the experience of our first pregnancy.”

Initially, the couple believed that two of their boys were identical while the other was fraternal, as Jaxon and Zac were in one sac while Zavier had his own. However, DNA testing revealed when the triplets were six weeks old that they were, in fact, genetically identical.

Tim, reflecting on the surprise of having identical triplets, shared, “We never thought they would be identical, as two shared a sac and placenta, while the other had his own. But after they were born, it was obvious they looked exactly the same. People said we should get a DNA test, just to see. We did a simple cheek swab test, and then the results confirmed they were, in fact, identical triplets. It was amazing to have that confirmation.” The boys were born via C-section at 33 weeks, weighing 1.9kg, 2kg, and 2.3kg.

Now that the triplets are nearly six months old, Allana and Tim have established a routine and are happier than ever with their family of five. Allana expressed her amazement, saying, “It still blows my mind to think three babies came out of my belly. It was a good pregnancy; I didn’t have morning sickness or any major complications. It took us a few months to get everything sorted. We needed three of everything.”

She continued, highlighting the increased expenses and challenges of raising triplets, “It triples the cost of everything. We had to order our pram from overseas, but it was delayed because of COVID; thankfully, it arrived just in time. We go through at least three tins of formula a week, and the nappies are never-ending. We can’t go anywhere in the town without being stopped. Our pram is so big, you can’t miss it.”

Despite the shock of having triplets, Allana emphasized that it has been a blessing, saying, “Ending up with triplets was such a shock, but such a blessing. We wouldn’t have it any other way.”

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